We compared birds in a group of established and well-managed miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus) fields in Somerset and East Devon, southwestern England, with plots of short rotation coppice (SRC) willow, arable crops and grassland in two winters and one summer. Following early spring cutting, 19 miscanthus fields grew taller, initially produced greater cover and were less weedy than SRC. As stubble in May, the miscanthus contained broadly similar species at similar densities to arable and grassland comparison plots. By July, at 2-m-tall, miscanthus held higher densities of birds but of fewer species, most of them characteristic of woodland and scrub. SRC, previously identified as being a beneficial crop for many birds, always contained more species and individuals than miscanthus. Throughout each of two winters, 15 miscanthus plots remained unharvested and contained more wood/scrub species such as Blackbirds Turdus merula, tits, Reed Buntings Emberiza schoeniclus and Woodcock Scolopax rusticola than the comparison plots, which held more corvids and Skylarks Alauda arvensis amongst others. Similar overall mean densities of birds in the miscanthus and the comparison plots masked relatively low density variance in miscanthus and very high variance in the comparison plots. Unharvested miscanthus crops grown in place of habitat types supporting flocks of wintering birds would displace these flocks. Miscanthus plantations with open patches attracted more finches and waders in winter. The two previous studies of birds in miscanthus in the UK found more species and more individuals than we did in summer and winter. Both these studies documented high levels of weediness and patchy crop growth. In the context of this previous work our data suggest that bird use of miscanthus in summer and winter is likely to be variable, affected by region, weediness, crop structure and patchiness. While large-scale cropping of SRC in England is likely to have a positive overall impact on a suite of common farmland and woodland birds, our data suggest that miscanthus in the southwest of England may have an approximately neutral effect. However, some open farmland specialist species may be lost when planting either crop.

Theoretical and political perspectives on the nature of professionalism in teaching are abundant, but little is known about the views of teachers themselves. We asked primary and secondary school teachers in England what teacher professionalism means to them. We explored what teachers think about professionalism, on what dimensions their thinking varies, and how much it varies. We researched how successful the government had already been, and how successful it would be in the future, in changing teachers’ conceptions of professionalism. Two large-scale national surveys were conducted, with a longitudinal element. We found that teachers’ thinking about their professionalism may be construed as consisting of an inner core of strong, shared beliefs and commitments; an intermediate set of coherent but contested components of professionalism; and an outer layer of disparate elements which are generally highly disputed and which remain unintegrated into broader ways of thinking.

Concern about climate change and energy security is stimulating land-use change, which in turn precipitates social, economic and environmental responses. It is predicted that within 20 years in the UK, bioenergy crops could occupy significant areas of rural land. Among these, dedicated biomass crops, such as Miscanthus (Miscanthus spp.) grass and short rotation willow (Salix spp.) coppice, differ significantly from arable crops in their growth characteristics and management. It is important that the potential impacts of these differences are assessed before large-scale, long-term planting occurs.We used a Sustainability Appraisal Framework (SAF) approach to landscape planning in the UK to identify stakeholder aspirations (objectives) and associated criteria (indicators) for the planting of dedicated biomass crops.The use of environmental and physical constraints mapping allowed the SAF to focus only on environmentally-acceptable locations, thereby avoiding unsustainable trade-offs. The mapping identified 3.1 million ha of land in England as suitable for planting, suggesting the UK government target of 1.1 million ha by 2020 is feasible.Evaluation of the SAF identified that while biodiversity was of concern to stakeholders, some current indicators of biodiversity are not appropriate. Butterfly abundance proved the most appropriate indicator, and it was found that total abundance was greater in field margins of both willow and Miscanthus biomass crops than in arable field margins.Synthesis and applications. The potential conflicts of assuring food security, water availability, energy security and biodiversity conservation are recognized as a key challenge by governments worldwide. Methods with which decision-makers can compare the performance of different land-use scenarios against sustainability objectives will be crucial for achieving optimized and sustainable use of land-based resources to meet all four challenges. Using biomass crops planting as an example, this work illustrates the potential of a Sustainability Appraisal Framework, subject to identification and agreement of appropriate indicators, in securing a holistic understanding of the wide-ranging implications of large-scale, long-term changes to rural land-use in the wider context of sustainable land-use planning per se.

Angela Karp, Alison J. Haughton, David A. Bohan, Andrew A. Lovett, Alan J. Bond , Trudie Dockerty, Gilla Sünnenberg, Jon W. Finch, Rufus B. Sage, Katy J. Appleton, Andrew B. Riche, Mark D. Mallott, Victoria E. Mallott, Mark D. Cunningham, Suzanne J. Clark and Martin M. Turner Centre for Bioenergy and Climate Change and 1b Centre for Mathematical and Computational Biology, Rothamsted Research, West Common Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK; School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK; Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK; Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP5 1EF, UK; Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Laver Building, New North Road, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QE, UK

Theoretical and political perspectives on the nature of professionalism in teaching are abundant, but little is known about the views of teachers themselves. We asked primary and secondary school teachers in England what teacher professionalism means to them. We explored what teachers think about professionalism, on what dimensions their thinking varies, and how much it varies. We researched how successful the government had already been, and how successful it would be in the future, in changing teachers’ conceptions of professionalism. Two large‐scale national surveys were conducted, with a longitudinal element. We found that teachers’ thinking about their professionalism may be construed as consisting of an inner core of strong, shared beliefs and commitments; an intermediate set of coherent but contested components of professionalism; and an outer layer of disparate elements which are generally highly disputed and which remain unintegrated into broader ways of thinking.

Selective delivery of antiretrovirals to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected cells may reduce toxicities associated with long-term highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), may improve therapeutic compliance and delay the emergence of resistance. We developed sterically stabilized pegylated liposomes coated with targeting ligands derived from the Fab’ fragment of HIV-gp120-directed monoclonal antibody F105, and evaluated these liposomes as vehicles for targeted delivery of a novel HIV-1 protease inhibitor. We demonstrated that the immunoliposomes were selectively taken up by HIV-1-infected cells and localized intracellularly, enabling the establishment of a cytoplasmic reservoir of protease inhibitor. In antiviral experiments, the drug delivered by the immunoliposomes showed greater and longer antiviral activity than comparable concentrations of free drug or drug encapsulated in non-targeted liposomes. In conclusion, by combining a targeting moiety with drug-loaded liposomes, efficient and specific uptake by non-phagocytic HIV-infected cells was facilitated, resulting in drug delivery to infected cells. This approach to targeted delivery of antiretroviral compounds may enable the design of drug regimens for patients that allow increased therapeutic adherence and less toxic treatment of HIV infection.

Rationale: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) manifests clinically as a consequence of septic and/or traumatic injury in the lung. Oxygen therapy remains a major therapeutic intervention in ARDS, but this can contribute further to lung damage. Patients with ARDS are highly susceptible to viral infection and it may be due to altered Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression.Objectives: To evaluate the role of TLR3 in ARDS.Methods: TLR3 expression and signaling was determined in airway epithelial cells after in vitro hyperoxia challenge. Using a murine model of hyperoxia-induced lung injury, the role of TLR3 was determined using either TLR3-gene deficient mice or a specific neutralizing antibody directed to TLR3.Measurements and Main Results: Increased TLR3 expression was observed in airway epithelial cells from patients with ARDS. Further, hyperoxic conditions alone were a major stimulus for increased TLR3 expression and activation in cultured human epithelial cells. Interestingly, TLR3(-/-) mice exhibited less acute lung injury, activation of apoptotic cascades, and extracellular matrix deposition after 5 days of 80% oxygen compared with wild-type (TLR3(+/+)) mice under the same conditions. Administration of a monoclonal anti-TLR3 antibody to TLR3(-/-) mice exposed to hyperoxic conditions likewise protected these mice from lung injury and inflammation.Conclusions: The potential for redundancy in function as well as crosstalk between distinct TLRs may indeed contribute to whether the inflammatory cascade can be effectively disrupted once signaling has been initiated. Together, these data show that TLR3 has a major role in the development of ARDS-like pathology in the absence of a viral pathogen.

The abbreviations are; cAMP: adenosine 3’5’-cyclic monophosphate, CNS: central nervous system, DPP-IV: dipeptidyl peptidase IV, FBG: fasting blood glucose, GLP-1: glucagon-like peptide, GLP-1R: GLP-1 receptor, HbA1c: hemoglobin A1c, GTT: glucose tolerance test, PK: pharmacokinetic profile